Okay so if you’ve read my previous post about the FAFSA process, you will already know how ridiculously confusing it can be.

Two days ago my mother received an email from the Indiana state website, stating that there was time sensitive action required, pertaining to my FAFSA. Now, the first thing I did after very quickly skimming through the email, was panic, click the link, and frantically run in circles through cyber space on the FAFSA website, trying to figure out what the problem was. I received the following error on my application:

Error 12

FC – You either left Question 102 on your 2010-2011 FAFSA blank or you listed only non-SSACI eligible colleges.

If you left the question blank the federal processor could not provide your FAFSA information to any college for review. A college must receive your FAFSA information to be able to process financial aid from any source, including SSACI. DO NOT CONTACT SSACI to add a college to your FAFSA. SSACI is not able to do so. For assistance, please contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243 or go to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. If you listed only non-SSACI eligible colleges or universities (including out-of-state colleges) you need do nothing more to correct your FAFSA. SSACI cannot make an award to you if you attend an out-of-state-college or an ineligible SSACI college.

Now, this sounds pretty scary if you’re not paying attention. And to be honest, I feel very stupid that I didn’t read through it carefully. Really, all this was, was my state informing me that because of my college choice being out of state, I will not be permitted to receive Indiana financial aid. That’s all…..~SIGH OF RELIEF~.

I don’t mean to assume that YOU would be so silly as to look over such a thing…but it’s very easy to do. Especially when you glance at the sentence “YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID IF YOU DO NOT CORRECT THE STATED ERRORS BEFORE MAY 15th”. Yeah… Just make sure you know who sent it to you and why. Because you can’t rush through anything FAFSA…or, you’ll die…and mess up the entire thing. Luckily I was careful enough to not trip over everything while I tried to correct my errors…but for future reference, be careful!

So you’re going to college and you’re living on campus. You’ll get a nice little dorm with a nice (hopefully) little roommate. But how do you make this intimidating little space feel like home?

You’ve seen tons of ads for places like PBteen, and Bed Bath and Beyond… But what is economical? What is actually worth the money spent, so your dorm is a little more homey and organized? Well, I’m determined to find out! Check back often to see more installments of TLC, and discover with me what to get and what NOT to get. 🙂

So here I am, the oldest child of 7 in a homeschooling family with parents that didn’t go to college and therefore don’t really know how the whole college application process goes. With all that being said, that made everything pretty much my responsibility while I could still shout out questions while working online to get into school. There are SO many things involved in this, but for right now we’re going to talk about the FAFSA.

“FAFSA” stands for “Free Application for Federal Student Aid”. With this form, you can apply for Stafford and Perkins loans, grants through your school, and scholarships. Without this form, you’re going to be paying everything for your college education- everything. So it’s pretty much not an option….FILL OUT THIS FORM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With that, I would like to take you through a step by step procedure so as to help alleviate the huff that often ensues after an unprepared for 3 hours spent at the computer trying to fill the stupid thing out. Read the rest of this entry »

Well in my excitement of receiving my ACT scores, I immediately started applying to LCU, my top school choice. Kind of a bad idea.

You see, I know that there is this thing called “application fees”… what I didn’t know was how crazy it can be. Turns out that when I applied, the website said NOTHING about a fee. I figured maybe it was a “pre-application” (an application I suppose I made up), or perhaps it was simply free???? PAH!…Yeah right.

So I apply. Filled with excitement and adventurous daydreams, I clicked “SUBMIT”. I was then directed to a page that informed me that I owed the school $25, and that I needed to mail it into the school. The odd thing about it was, that they did not give me a deadline, and you would think with it being online, that they would use paypal or something. Right?

I was terribly confused. Before I go applying to other colleges, I will be researching completely. I kind of felt cheated by this. I’m lucky it was only $25, as my family definitely could not afford anything other than that.

So yes…I believe I was being ridiculously stupid. Like last night when I lit my hair causing three flames to burn 2 inches from my face, because I had a single curly and damaged hair that needed to be snipped- and I had no scissors. Yeah… I was smacking my own head and the flames for fear I would loose all my hair. Turns out it just burned a couple strands, causing a firework and flames, and a terrible terrible smell. That must have looked absolutely retarded…

Upon posting a facebook status about this, it was confirmed through comments that I am in fact, stupid. Oh well…I’m just posting this in case there are any other people out there as air-brained as me. I’m sure though that everyone else knows its common knowledge to pay a fee through the mail like that upon applying to college…

Lets hope I make it through the rest of the day without doing something else terribly stupid and dangerous.

Aah yes, the test that proves your competence after 10-11 years of school that has enveloped your entire being for longer than it should have.

On Dec, 12th I took this test and shall now give a narrative on how everything played out, so that my experience can hopefully bring some light to the frightful concept of taking such a test (especially for homeschoolers who have likely never taken any sort of test in a public school).

Four weeks before my test I got mono (which I am still struggling with). As most people know, mono causes extreme fatigue- which means I was unable to study at all, for four weeks.

Now, as a homeschooler my educational background has been good. I’ve been to a co-op twice (didn’t work out well just with the scheduling), I’ve studied above my grade (not the smartest in the bunch, but decently bright), and I’ve gone on independent study- doing many projects and research papers voluntarily. However due to many severe health problems in my family, I’m behind in a few subjects. Biology, chemistry, algebra, and geometry. Yeah…a lot. But I’m versed enough in all of them to at least attempt the test.